Due to the backlash that the Oba of Lagos has been receiving as a result of his snubish act towards the Ooni of Ife, investigations show that the King is blind from glaucoma since the last 21 years.

However, it is quite unfortunate and strnge that the palace authorities have not opened up on the condition of the King.

According to news report from Sabi news, the King told a guest at the palace that he has been blind from glaucoma since the past 21 years.

The truth, which many have overlooked and which the palace appears unwilling to acknowledge is that the Oba of Lagos is visually impaired and may not have realised who had come to greet him especially as the person seemed to genuflect. To him, anyone bowing for him must be a subject, Trent news

It now appears that the Oba personally acknowledged his visual impairment in a September 2, 2016 report published in The Nation where he is quoted to have said he has suffered from Glaucoma for 21 years.

Glaucoma is a debilitating and irreversible disease of the eyes which causes damage to the optic nerve and vision loss. Untreated, glaucoma can cause total permanent blindness within a few years.

“Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu has  called on  Lagos residents to go for glaucoma screening to prevent blindness,” the newspaper’s account says.

Oba Akiolu said this when the management of Pfizer Specialties, the country’s arm of Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals, paid the monarch a courtesy visit.

Oba Akiolu said he has lived with the condition for over 21 years and was able to manage same because of the right information. “So, as a person living with glaucoma, I can say for anyone not to go blind, if you are being treated for glaucoma, be sure to take your prescribed glaucoma medicine every day. See your eye care professional regularly. You can help protect the vision of family members and friends, who may be at high risk for glaucoma, especially those over age 40 and everyone over 60 years and people with a family history of the disease by sharing information as I am doing.

“Please encourage them to have a comprehensive dilated eye examination regularly. Remember that lowering eye pressure in the early stages of glaucoma slows progression of the disease and helps save vision,” said Oba Akiolu.”

An official of the Lagos state government , said “have you ever wondered why he always wears dark glasses even indoors? I once saw him leave the seat reserved for him to sit on another man’s lap at a public event. I wonder why the palace has not acknowledged it by now and saved the Oba all the insults on social media.”

With this, it now seems that there may have indeed been no intention on the part of Oba Akiolu to humiliate the Ooni of Ife just an honest mistake caused by a physical impairment and something a Google search could have saved.